Guiding Light
by SuperAwesomePandaKitty
Summary: Set five years after they became Paris' greatest Superheroes and two weeks after Hawkmoth's defeat. On the day that Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated Hawkmoth, Adrien Agreste disappeared. Identities are revealed and this is nothing more than shameless hurt/comfort


A/N: Okay so this wouldn't leave my head until I wrote it down so here it is. Future AU Identity reveal fic. Ending is a little meh but I might fix it. Hope you enjoy :)

On the day that Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated Hawkmoth, Adrien Agreste disappeared and Marinette honestly couldn't blame him. It had been almost two weeks since Gabriel Agreste had been arrested, two weeks since Adrien's life had been flipped and she was almost at the end of her tether with worry.

She had tried calling him, Nino had tried calling him, Alya had tried calling him but to no avail. They had searched for him, asked the staff at his house but no one had been able to find him and the police were no help. There was a missing person's form filled out but the police couldn't do anything considering he was nineteen and if he didn't want to be found there was nothing they could do.

Marinette had considered asking her partner for help but there was something wrong with her cat as well, he had lost something in that battle but she didn't know what. Chat Noir had stopped joking, stopped laughing...stopped talking. He still showed up for patrol like clockwork, but he would do nothing more than greet her and do his share of his search.

Honestly, why they kept patrolling the streets of Paris even though the shadow that haunted them for five years was locked away was a mystery but she couldn't just give up on her vigil over the city...or her sweet kitty.

The problem was her heart was hurting for both the men in her life, her best friend who she regularly would have game nights with every Friday before all this (she'd lost that nervous stutter when they turned sixteen, _thank god_ ), and her sweet partner who stopped childishly flirting with her around the same time and really tried hard to be there for her when she needed him.

Marinette sighed sadly, wiping away the tears as the guilt weighed heavy on her. Objectively she knew she didn't do anything wrong, her mission was to defeat Hawkmoth and keep the city safe but in doing so she had hurt the one person she never ever wanted to.

"Are you okay Marinette?" Tikki asked worriedly as she hovered over her chosen's head.

"We're never going to find him Tikki." She murmured as a tear rolled down her cheek. "And it's all my fault."

"It isn't your fault. You couldn't have known that it was Gabriel Agreste behind all this, maybe Adrien just needs some time." Tikki replied softly, rubbing her paw on her chosen's cheek.

"But he needs us, I know what he's like; he's probably beating himself up and blaming himself." Marinette protested, her heart couldn't take much more and she decided that she would try to kill two birds with one stone. "I'm going to ask Chat for help and try to help him in the process. There's something wrong with that Cat too and I can't exactly be called a hero if I can't even help my friends." She argued as she wiped her face with a stubborn hand.

"Marinette." Tikki murmured hesitantly but her Miraculous holder shook her head.

"Tikki, transform me." Marinette said and after another wary look, the Kwami flew into her earring as she transformed into Ladybug. She looked at her reflection in the floorlength mirror with determined eyes. "I won't fail them again." Ladybug told her doppelganger before leaving through her balcony and propelling herself forward with her yoyo.

Chat Noir sat on the roof of an old abandoned building, he was leaning against a wall as he stared at nothing in front of him until the squawk of a bird sounded somewhere closeby and he looked up at the sky instead.

He'd spent a lot of time as Chat Noir in the past two weeks and he felt bad for his Kwami but Plagg understood. He always made sure to feed him well and give him at least a few hours a day out of his ring. Plagg may have acted like he didn't care some days but they both knew the little Kwami cared for him, always making sure that Adrien was sleeping at least for a few hours, making sure that he ate even just a little bit and would listen when Adrien felt particularly talkative.

The thing was he wasn't just upset at his father for being Hawkmoth but he was so incredibly angry at himself. Here he was a supposed hero of Paris, living in the same house as the man who akumatised his friends and the people of the city. The man who caused so much pain and destruction to the city was the very man that was supposed to love and care for him but treated him as a commodity more than a son.

He let out a hiss, how could he face Ladybug if she found out the truth about him? How would she look at him the same way knowing that the person that hurt her when he couldn't take the blow for her in time had been his own father and he could have stopped it all if he had just paid attention. She had been worrying about Adrien's disappearance every time they met up but if she only knew the truth, she'd turn from him.

Adrien was weak, he was stupid, how could he not know that the man who hid himself away in his office was hiding a secret so sinister and when he thought about the amount of close calls he had? What kind of a father does that?

And what about his mother?

Adrien had not wanted to see his father to ask, fearing the answer and he couldn't even be sure if he would believe him.

No, Adrien couldn't face anyone out of pure shame. Chat Noir could just about go to stores when he needed essentials, people would smile at him gratefully and wave when he would walk down the street.

Little kids would approach him, asking him to sign their teddies, posters, you name it and as much as he wanted to refuse, their innocent and happy expressions always made him falter so he did it for them.

If only they knew.

The ringing of his baton shook him out of his murky thoughts and he considered not answering, knowing he needed to but the shame and guilt was almost too strong tonight.

"Hello Milady, is there something wrong?" He answered anyway; he could never let his partner down.

"Chat, are you busy? I need to ask a favour of you." She looked almost guilty and as much as he wanted to just sit where he was and feel sorry for himself, he pushed himself to a stand.

"Tell me where you are and I'll meet you." Chat Noir replied and she named a building close to the Eiffel Tower. "I'll be right there Milady."

After he hung up, he released a tired sigh and made his way to their meeting place.

His heart still skipped when he saw her, she was sitting on the roof and staring at the Eiffel Tower, she seemed to be lost in thought as he touched down and she didn't seem to notice.

"Good evening Milady." He murmured and she turned to look at him, a tear streaking down her cheek gave him pause and he made towards her before hesitating at the last second.

"Chat, I need your help." Ladybug said softly.

"And what is it I can help you with bug?" Chat Noir asked as he moved to sit down beside her.

"I need to find Adrien Agreste and I need you to help me." She whispered sadly, he looked over at her warily.

"Why?" He asked carefully.

"Because there are people who love him that need to see him." Ladybug replied desperately, her fist clenched as she spoke and he felt his heart break just a little more as he knew he was hurting his friends by staying away.

"What if he doesn't want to be found?" Chat murmured, averting his eyes to stare at the Tower. "I mean, if I was Adrien and I had just found out that my father was Hawkmoth: The man responsible for the suffering of the city for so many years and I could have done something...anything about it. I wouldn't want to be seen either."

"That doesn't matter!" Her outburst startled him and he looked back at her quickly. "And frankly, I can't believe you would be so cold about this Chat, he's out there somewhere and he's hurting and he needs to be told that it isn't his fault."

Chat's eyes widened when he saw the tears streaking down her mask, he didn't know Ladybug cared about Adrien that much but he knew she couldn't possibly think that if she knew who he really was.

"I'm sorry Milady, please don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to be cruel...I think he probably needs to hide for a while, he'll come back on his own...eventually." Chat said as he stood but just as he made to move away she grabbed his hand.

"You're wrong Chat." She said and the wobble in her voice broke his resolve as he turned to look at her. "You don't know him like I do." He almost laughed at that statement but he stayed silent as he knew she wasn't finished. "I know him, right now; he's probably thinking over every akuma attack and blaming himself for every single one. But he's wrong, he didn't do anything wrong. How could he have known when none of us did?"

He looked at her in surprise, she knew him as his civilian identity? Chat stubbornly held on to the thought that if she knew that he and Adrien were one and the same she wouldn't be so quick to tell him it wasn't his fault.

"I'm sorry Ladybug, I really am but I don't think I can help you." Chat said with a defeated expression and her look of hurt, even for a moment; hit him low and he looked away as he couldn't bear to see it.

"What's happened to you Chat?" She asked softly and he looked back, shocked again by her worry. "It feels like you've given up on not just Adrien but everything." Ladybug added angrily.

"I..." He had no answer for her. She looked at him with desperate eyes, she trembled with the torrent of emotions that brimmed within her and with that, his resolve fell. "I just don't know what to do anymore." Chat said as his eyes fell to his feet, his cat ears had flattened on the top of his head as he couldn't contain the emotions that he'd tried to bury for so long and he could feel tears building up in his eyes.

"Chat..." Ladybug said worriedly as his breath hitched and he raised the hand not in her grip to his face as he tried to hide himself.

"I'm so sorry." He murmured as the tears finally fell and he dropped to his knees in front of her. Before he could say anything else, she dropped to her knees as well and pulled him into her arms as tight as she could.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Chat." Ladybug told him firmly, hushing him as he buried his face in her shoulder and she rubbed his back soothingly. "I'm worried about you too y'know?"

"I don't deserve it." Chat Noir's voice was muffled by her shoulder and she scoffed in response as she squeezed him impossibly tighter.

"Silly kitten, you don't know how amazing and kind you are, you deserve everything." Ladybug replied softly. "Now please, tell me what's going on with you. I'm your partner and I want to be there for you but I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." She begged in a quiet voice.

"If I did tell you." He murmured. "It would break the rules...You have no idea how badly I've fucked up Bug."

"I don't care about the rules when you're hurting like this, there's nothing I wouldn't forgive you for Minou." She told him honestly, pulling back to look him in the eye and he almost choked at her conviction.

"You really want to find Adrien?" Chat's whispered question made her pause and the look she gave him was so full of worry, so caring that it made him feel like he could tell her everything she wanted to know and it would still be okay.

"Of course I do, but I also need to make sure _you're_ okay." She replied softly, her hand gently stroked his cheek and he looked down at his hands for a moment as he took a deep breath as he prepared to tell her the biggest secret he had.

"You've found him." He murmured so quietly she almost didn't hear him before she let out a gasp and he flinched.

"Adrien?" Ladybug asked in a shocked tone, was there a hint of hope in there too? He couldn't be sure but Chat hesitantly looked up at his lady and the hope was all there in her eyes just daring him to tell her the truth.

"Surprise." Chat said defeatedly. "You must think I'm so stupid, all this time I've been fighting my own father. All this time, I've lived with the man who has made our lives hell." He let out a humourless laugh. "What bad luck I have right?"

Before he could say anything else, Ladybug launched at him and held him tighter than any hug he had ever received in his life. "It wasn't your fault Kitten, I can't believe it's you. I'm so glad I found you." She said emotionally.

"I just feel like I could have done something, I'm supposed to be someone who protects this city and yet I couldn't even protect my friends from my own father." Chat replied sadly.

"Adrien." Ladybug said sternly and he looked up at her warily. "You have absolutely nothing to apologise for, you're not the only one who didn't know." She added before she took a deep breath of her own. "After all, how could _I_ not know that the person I interned for for a year was the man who akumatised _my_ friends, who attacked the people of this city I had sworn to protect."

Chat's eyes widened as he realised that the woman kneeling in front of him, the person he fell in love with twice was the person who regularly kicked his ass at Mario kart, the woman who until a few years ago couldn't even muster a sentence in front of him and who regularly ran about with him during patrol nights was his lady.

"Marinette?" He murmured and she nodded shyly, it was his turn to pull her into his arms as he said "I'm so glad it's you."

"I've been so worried about you." She whispered into his shoulder as she held tight and he sighed guiltily.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just couldn't face anyone, least of all you as Ladybug _and_ Marinette." Chat mumbled and Ladybug pulled back to look at him sternly.

"Stop it! Please just accept the fact that none of this, any of it, is your fault. Adrien you helped bring him down and I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you so please just...come back." She said emotionally. "Just...be here with me."

"I want to Mari, I really do. I just don't know if I can face anyone, I mean how can I look Nino or Alya in the eyes ever again? I don't even want to step foot in that house again." He said as his eyes welled up again, Ladybug shook her head and reached out to wipe away any tears that fell.

"You don't have to, you can stay with me. You know you're always welcome to use the spare room at my apartment if you want, no one else is using it since Alya spends so much time over at Nino's anyway; I mean it's a glorified closet." She told him and he let out a weak laugh.

"I guess I'll have to face the music at some point." He said with a defeated sigh but he knew that it was time and Plagg needed a well-deserved break. "I can't thank you enough." They both knew he meant more than just for a place to stay and Ladybug smiled kindly.

"I'm just glad I've found you and you're agreeing to come back with me." Ladybug said softly, she let out a relieved breath and he gazed at her softly.

"How can you change my mind so easily? I was determined not to be seen for at least another few weeks." He asked her lightly and she frowned worriedly.

"I wanted to help both of you, I'm sorry Chat _and_ Adrien for not being there for you when you needed me, for not seeing how badly you were hurting sooner." She replied sadly and he shook his head firmly.

"It's not your fault, you couldn't have known and it's not like I said anything." Chat said gently, reaching over to stroke her cheek as she looked at him guiltily and she leaned into his touch.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while as his thumb rubbed gentle circles on her cheek. "Are you hungry?" She murmured after a while and he shrugged slightly.

"Kinda, I haven't really been eating much." He answered and Ladybug nodded as she bit her lip worriedly.

"Come on, let's go back to mine and I'll cook you something. I'm sure you haven't been sleeping well either so after that you're going to bed." She said determinedly and he couldn't help the grin that slowly spread on his face.

"That sounds puurr-fect." Chat quipped as the weight suddenly lifted off his heart and she smiled in relief at him.

"I'm glad you're back Kitty." She replied as they stood and she squeezed his hand tightly. "I want you to know that it might not be okay right now but it will be and no matter what, as your partner and friend; I will always be there for you."

Chat's heart skipped a beat as her beautiful blue eyes glittered with her conviction and he looked down for a few seconds as he tried to contain all the love for this amazing woman that threatened to explode from his chest and he looked back up again with a grateful smile.

"Thank you Mari, I promise I'll do the same." He replied and he embraced her tightly. "I also promise that from this point on, no matter how bad things get; I'll never disappear on you again." Her grip on him tightened at that and she sighed in relief before pulling back.

"Come on, let's go." Ladybug said with a tender smile, offering her hand out to him as they leapt off the roof together and headed to hers.

They disappeared down an alley near her apartment and dropped their transformations, Plagg flew straight up to Adrien's face worriedly and he gave him an apologetic smile.

"Are you okay Adrien? Where are we now?" The Cat Kwami asked worriedly but he didn't have a chance to answer as a little red Kwami collided into him with an excited squeal.

"Plagg! I've missed you!" She said brightly, the Cat Kwami hugged her back tightly with a purr and Adrien smiled before looking over at a nervous Marinette.

"Mari?" He asked in a concerned tone as he walked closer to her, she smiled reassuringly before pulling him into another hug and he tightened his arms around her.

"I'm just so relieved." Marinette explained, pulling back to examine him now he was out of his costume and she frowned a little as she noticed the bags under his eyes.

"Adrien, you didn't answer my questions." Plagg said then as he managed to peel himself away from Tikki to fly over to him and Adrien let out a quiet sigh.

"I'm sorry Plagg, I know you've been working overtime to keep me in hiding but the cat, as they say; is out of the bag now." He let out a small smirk when he noticed Marinette roll her eyes fondly and Plagg let out a sigh of relief.

"So does this mean we're going home now?" Plagg asked his miraculous holder.

"Marinette has kindly offered to let me stay with her." He replied, giving her a grateful smile and she shrugged softly.

"Are you ready?" The Cat Kwami asked worriedly and Adrien hesitated.

"I meant what I said back there." Marinette murmured and the two turned to her as Tikki flew onto her shoulder. "You won't have to go through it alone."

"Then I'm ready." Adrien said with a sad smile, he offered his hand out to her and she smiled as she took it and led the way to her apartment as the two Kwamis flew into their pockets to hide.

They walked hand in hand down the street, Adrien kept his head low in case he was recognised but luckily they didn't have to go very far before they were at the door to her apartment building and they walked inside and got the lift to the third floor as she pulled her keys out of her pocket.

He hesitated at her door before she could open it and she looked at him worriedly. "What is it Adrien?"

"What if Alya's home? I don't think I'm quite ready to face them yet." He said warily but she smiled reassuringly at him and squeezed his hand gently.

"Alya is staying with Nino; it's date night." Marinette replied as she turned her key in the door and pulled him in with her.

"I'll reach out to them tomorrow, I just want to be with you for tonight if that's okay?"Adrien told her honestly and she smiled warmly.

"Of course, now what would you like to eat? I can make some lasagne or even order pizza?" She asked as the Kwamis left their hiding places and flew to the counter.

"Lasagne sounds good but if you'd rather order in I'm good with whatever honestly Princess." He replied as he rubbed the back of his neck shyly, she really was too good for him and so kind-hearted. "What?" Adrien asked worriedly when she stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Nothing." Marinette said quickly as a light blush adorned her cheeks before she cleared her throat quickly. "Lasagne it is."

Adrien nodded, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the cheese he always had for his Kwami and offered it out to Plagg.

"Thanks for all your help Plagg." He murmured softly to the Cat Kwami who grabbed his cheese eagerly and began to eat. Adrien looked over to the Ladybug Kwami curiously and she smiled kindly back at him. "I don't think we've been properly introduced."

"I'm Tikki, it's nice to finally meet you Adrien." Tikki said warmly as she flew up to look at him closely.

"I've heard so much about you, it's nice to finally meet you too." He replied softly, reaching up to shake her offered paw and she giggled bashfully.

"Would you like a cookie Tikki?" Marinette asked her Kwami fondly as she put the lasagne in the oven to cook, handing over the cookie when she nodded and the two Kwamis ate together happily.

Adrien took a seat at the table and was content to watch Marinette move around the kitchen as she prepared their dinner, he'd already offered to help but she waved him away with a fond grin and he shook his head tenderly.

When their food was ready, Marinette brought their plates over and sat down opposite him at the table. "Thank you so much Mari." He said gratefully, only realising how hungry he actually was now that the smell of food had hit him and he ate his food quickly.

"You're welcome Adrien." She answered softly, she seemed happy just to have him there and Marinette ate her food slowly while she watched him.

It was a surprise to precisely no one that he had finished first and for the first time since the battle with Hawkmoth, he felt happy and content. As the food settled in his stomach, he could feel his fatigue and he sighed tiredly.

"Alya's bed is free." Marinette murmured quietly. "You look exhausted Adrien and the sleep might do you some good."

"I know, I'll go to bed soon but I just think we should talk about...well everything." He replied as he suppressed a yawn.

"We have plenty of time you know? Now that I've finally found you, I just wanna make sure that you're doing okay. I need to make sure that my Kitty is safe and happy." She said and her cheeks heated as she realised what she had said but Adrien grinned fondly.

"Trust me, I'm one very happy cat right _meow_." He replied, winking at her and she couldn't help but find it endearing as she giggled.

"Well I'm glad, but seriously Adrien. You should get some sleep, I'm sure you haven't been sleeping much." She said worriedly.

"He hasn't." Plagg chimed in and Adrien gave his Kwami a half-hearted glare as he sighed in defeat at her pleading look.

"Fine but we'll talk about all this, right?" He asked her and she nodded eagerly.

"Of course we will but right now you need to relax, the rest can come tomorrow okay?" Marinette insisted and he gave in.

"Okay but if you need anything just wake me. Deal?" He said as he held his fist out and she smiled warmly as her own fist lightly touched his.

"Deal. Now off to bed with you Kitty." She told him and he laughed quietly as they both stood.

"Mari?" Adrien murmured while she had her back to him as she was gathering the dishes.

"Hmm?" Marinette hummed as she turned to him curiously and she froze when she felt his lips against her cheek.

"Thanks." He whispered before he retreated and headed off into Alya's room, he'd spent the night in the blogger's room a few times so he didn't feel too bad as he collapsed onto the bed after turning off the lights; falling asleep easily for the first time since that night.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki asked with a giggle as her miraculous holder held her hand to her cheek and she stared at Alya's closed bedroom door.

"I think he broke her." Plagg chuckled as she snapped out of it and brought the plates to the sink.

"Both of you stop." She complained with an embarrassed huff.

"Marinette?" The Cat Kwami called and she turned curiously. "I just wanted to say thank you."

"What for?" She asked in surprise and Plagg flew closer to her.

"For whatever you said to him today, I think he needed to hear it and I didn't know how to help him. I don't think you realise just how badly it affected him when he found out." He explained to her and she bit her lip worriedly as her eyes flickered to Alya's door and back.

"How bad was it?" Marinette asked in a concerned tone, taking a seat at the table as the two Kwamis joined her.

"Well after Hawkmoth was arrested and we parted ways, Adrien went to an abandoned building and detransformed. He was angry at himself, his father...me. He thought I knew and had kept it from him but I honestly didn't and when he realised that I was telling the truth he felt so ashamed of himself that he just shut down." He answered warily. "I didn't think he was gonna make it through this, he spent so much time as Chat, even when there was nothing to do and I think he was just looking for a way to escape being himself for a while."

"That's awful." Marinette said sadly, wishing she had seen the signs and that she had tried to push her cat sooner. "I'm sure it couldn't have been easy for you."

"It wasn't easy for either of us." Plagg replied simply. "I've honestly never seen him so defeated, normally he could brush off anything with a joke or pun but in the last hour I've seen him smile more and laugh...he even told a _pun_!" The Kwami added in relief.

"I told you he needed time." Tikki said in a soft voice. "Maybe he's ready now because he's had some time to reflect, or maybe someone told him what he needed to hear." She added with a pointed but grateful look at Marinette.

"I'm just glad he was willing to hear it." Marinette said in a relieved tone, she felt tired herself now as the crying she'd been doing over the two, no, _one_ man in her life with her worry had finally caught up with her. "I'm gonna go to bed, if Adrien gets up or needs anything just come in and wake me okay?"

"We will, goodnight Marinette." Tikki murmured softly and she left both the Kwamis to catch up in the kitchen as she headed off into her own room. She changed into her pyjamas, got into bed and allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief as she finally found Adrien _and_ finally found out what was bothering her cat.

When Adrien woke up he panicked for a moment as he didn't know where he was but then he noticed the picture frame of Alya and Nino at the Eiffel Tower on her bedside table and it came flooding back. A sad smile was all he could manage as he realised he would have to face them today, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. He had turned it off _that night_ and he sighed guiltily when his phone buzzed with the multitude of voicemails and text messages he'd received from his panicked friends and even Nathalie.

God Nathalie who had basically raised him, he knew she must have been worried about him and with a heavy heart he pushed himself up to a sit. He dialled Nathalie's number, he knew he had to at least let her know he was safe and put her mind at ease.

"Adrien? Thank God I've been so worried, where are you? Are you safe?" He heard her say frantically, she normally kept her composure but he knew it must have been bad for her to worry this much and he suppressed a sigh.

"Hey Nathalie, I'm safe don't worry. I just wanted to let you know, I can meet you tomorrow if you'd like?" Adrien murmured and she let out a relieved breath.

"Of course, are you coming home?" Nathalie asked carefully.

"No, I'm staying with someone for now but I'd rather meet you somewhere and I don't think I'll ever step foot in there again unless I'm getting my stuff." He replied firmly.

"I understand Adrien, just keep in touch okay? And you should call your friends, they've been worried about you and it would do you some good to talk to them." She said softly and he smiled at that.

"I will, I'm okay now. I promise." He informed her and she sighed.

"Let me know where you want to meet tomorrow and what time. I'll be there." Nathalie said steadily.

"I will, bye Nathalie." Adrien said gratefully.

"Goodbye Adrien, be safe." She replied before he hung up, he brushed his hand through his hair and he grimaced as he realised how badly he needed a shower.

"Mornin' Adrien." Plagg murmured as he floated up to his miraculous holder's eyeline.

"Morning." He replied with a small smile.

"Marinette wants to know if you want something to eat?" The Cat Kwami asked softly and he nodded as he got out of bed and made it again before walking out the door.

"Good morning Adrien, did you sleep well?" Marinette greeted when she saw him, his heart skipped a beat as she had her hair down, she was still in her pyjamas and she offered him a warm smile.

"Uh, yeah I did, did you?" He replied shyly as he moved closer to her.

"Yeah, you want pancakes?" She said distractedly as she was stirring the mix in a bowl and he smiled softly.

"Sure, thank you Mari." Adrien murmured warmly.

"You're welcome Adrien." Marinette replied gently.

"I called Nathalie." He told her then and she looked up at him worriedly. "I just wanted to let her know I was okay, I told her I would meet with her tomorrow and that I'm not going back into that house."

"At least she knows you're safe, she was so worried about you." She said honestly and he nodded with a guilty look.

"I know, I'm not running anymore." Adrien replied firmly and she smiled in relief. "Would you mind if I took a shower?" He asked and Marinette nodded kindly.

"Towels are in the bathroom, if you want to borrow Nino's clothes they're in the bottom drawer in Alya's room and after breakfast...we should call them." She replied hesitantly.

"Yeah, I know." Adrien mumbled, he turned to head into Alya's room and borrowed his best friend's jeans and t-shirt before heading into the bathroom to shower. He was thankful that Nino stayed here so often as his shower gel was here too, he scrubbed himself a few times and when he finally felt clean he stepped out and towelled himself dry before getting dressed.

Adrien walked out of the bathroom, holding his dirty clothes and towel, moving over to put them in the washing machine before turning it on.

"You're just in time." Marinette told him as she plated up the blueberry pancakes and he smiled gratefully at her.

"You spoil this cat." Adrien said as he held a hand to his chest.

She giggled and winked. "That's my plan, if I feed you enough you won't want to leave." Marinette joked smugly and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Damn, does this mean I'll be one of those fat cats that lounges around all day?" He asked with a smirk. "Actually that doesn't sound all that bad, I do like a good cat nap."

She rolled her eyes fondly as she set their plates down on the table but before she could get up to get their drinks Adrien had already set them down with a small smile.

"As long as you don't decide to sleep on my laptop or sprawl on the floor to trip me up, I think we'll be good." Marinette told him with a smirk and he grinned as he took a bite of his pancakes.

"I make no promises Princess." He winked at her and her breath hitched as it reminded her so much of the old carefree Chat and she smiled shyly.

"You seem a lot happier today." Marinette commented and he looked over at her with a warm smile.

"Do I? I wonder why." He replied pointedly. "You wanna know a secret?" Adrien whispered conspiratorially and she leaned in closer when he beckoned her.

"What?" She asked with a small grin at his mischievous look.

"Two of the best women I know." He started, his smile softening as he spoke honestly. "Turned out to be the same person, and she worried about both sides of me. She was there for me, and when all I wanted to do was blame myself; she wouldn't let me. And now, here I am being cared for because when all I wanted to do was give up she wouldn't give up on me."

Marinette's eyes welled up as she saw the earnest look he gave her, his hand reaching out to take hers and she squeezed it back as a tear fell down her cheek.

"Adrien." She whispered and he smiled worriedly as he used his free had to wipe her tears away.

"Don't cry Mari." He murmured and Marinette chuckled weakly.

"Sorry, it's just...I had these two amazing men in my life and suddenly one had disappeared and the other may as well have as he wouldn't even talk much. I needed to find one and help the other and turns out he was there all along. The whole time he had been hurting in front of my eyes, and I'm just so very glad that he's here and he's safe." She said emotionally as she rubbed her eyes with her free hand, Adrien offered her a small smile; the one she'd often see on Chat's face as it tugged up on one side and he took a deep breath.

"I love you, y'know?" Her heart skipped a beat as she stared back at him with wide eyes and a warm feeling in her cheeks. "Both sides of you. Thank you for everything." Adrien gave her a meaningful look and she had to repress a sob as she'd never thought she'd hear those words from Adrien.

"I love you too." Marinette said softly. "Both sides of you." And Adrien grinned happily, his own tears pooling in his eyes before he leaned closer to her and she met him halfway as their lips touched tenderly.

They pulled back slowly, Adrien's hand stroked her cheek gently as he looked at her with a fond smile and gently pressed his forehead against hers. Marinette's heart felt full as she allowed her eyes to close and they sat in a comfortable silence as she focused on the feeling of his hand in hers.

"Okay." He murmured. "I'm ready to call them now." Marinette's eyes opened as he gave her a tentative smile and she nodded softly.

"I'll be with you the whole time." She promised and his smile grew as he kissed her again, a little more firmly and she sighed contentedly against his mouth.

"I know." Adrien replied softly, finally pulling back from her and reaching into his pocket for his phone as he dialled Nino's number. He stared at her worriedly as it rang and she squeezed his hand with a reassuring smile.

"Adrien? Thank God man I've been worried sick! Are you okay?" Nino answered worriedly and he sighed warily.

"Hey Nino, I know I'm sorry. I'm at Marinette and Alya's place right now if you guys wanna come over." He told his best friend guiltily and he startled at the clattering he heard on the other line as Nino must have jumped up.

"Yes! Oh my God dude, we'll be right there." He could hear Alya mumbling something in the background. "Alya it's Adrien, he's at your place right now."

"What?!" He heard the blogger shout as both of them must have been rushing to get ready. Marinette's phone began to ring and she quickly answered with a helpless chuckle. "Girl! Do not let him leave before we get there!"

"Guys, don't worry I'm not going anywhere." He said loud enough for both to hear on their respective phones and he couldn't help but shake his head fondly.

"You better not Agreste! I'm gonna kick your butt for making us worry so you better be there." Alya shouted loud enough to be heard and Marinette had to pull her phone away from her ear.

"We'll see you in ten." Nino told him firmly as both of their friends hung up.

"Well that went well." Adrien said with a helpless chuckle.

"They're just worried about you, Nino will probably hug you and not let you go for at least half an hour." Marinette replied affectionately.

"And then Alya will probably punch me in the shoulder and all will be forgiven." He added as he finished the last of his pancakes before he stood to take both their plates.

"It'll be like nothing's changed." She said softly, getting up to follow him to the sink and she hugged him from behind.

"I'm just glad I don't have to face it all alone anymore." He murmured as he started washing the dishes to make himself useful and Marinette rubbed her face on his shoulder.

"You never did." She reminded him and he smiled, turning in her arms when he placed the last dish on the rack and put his arms around her.

"I know that now." Adrien said gently as she stared up at him with her beautiful blue eyes, he leaned down and she stood up on her tip-toes to meet him as they kissed languidly. The more they kissed, the more addicted to her lips he became and he brushed a hand through her hair as he held her tightly to him.

He was a drowning man and she was his air, her light guiding him from the darkness of his life and he smiled into her lips as she released a sigh before he pulled back to brush a piece of her hair behind her ear with an affectionate look.

"I can't believe an unlucky cat like me managed to find someone as beautiful and kind-hearted as you." He murmured and she smiled bashfully at him.

"Poor Minou, I don't think you see just how amazing and kind you are as well." Marinette whispered as her cheeks glowed a bright red and he grinned as he pressed his lips to each cheek.

"I might not see it but I've got a feeling you'll show me." Adrien replied fondly and she nodded in response as she leaned up to kiss him again. They jumped apart when the sound of the key turning in the door could be heard but Adrien nervously kept hold of her hand as he awaited his fate.

"Adrien?" Nino called before his eyes landed on him and he rushed forward to hug his friend tightly, Adrien eased his hand out of Marinette's as he hugged his friend back. "I'm so glad to see you, you have no idea how worried I've been."

"I know, I'm sorry." He replied guiltily, he pulled back but was instantly pulled into Alya's arms.

Alya hugged him quickly before she pulled back and hit him in the arm. "That's for making us worry about you," she dragged him back into a hug again. "And that's for coming back."

Adrien chuckled helplessly as Marinette stood at his side, offering support if he needed it and he smiled at her gratefully.

"Where have you been?!" Nino demanded worriedly as Alya stood beside him to stare him down.

"I've been...around." He answered helplessly.

"What do you mean 'around'? We searched everywhere for you." Alya asked and he knew her annoyance came from a place of love and concern.

"I know you have, I _am_ sorry you guys but you know why I needed to disappear right?" Adrien asked as his eyes begged them to understand, Marinette's hand rubbing his back softly helped him relax and he sighed in defeat. "I blamed myself for everything, I didn't know how to face you guys after everything _he_ did and how many times you got hurt or.."

"Adrien!" Nino interrupted with a soft look in his eyes. "None of this is your fault, you didn't do anything wrong and you should've known that we would never have blamed you."

"He's right." Alya added with a half-hearted glare. "The only thing we're angry at is how you just disappeared on us, we had no idea if you were okay and God even poor Marinette hadn't slept for days."

Marinette's eyes widened at being brought up and he looked at her guiltily.

"I'm sorry." He replied simply. "I promise I won't ever run like that again, at least not without telling you guys."

"You better not." Alya said with a small smirk. "Next time it'll be more than just a punch on the arm."

Adrien laughed lightly and he noticed their faces light up at that. "I have the best friends in the whole wide world." He murmured gratefully.

"Damn right you do." Nino said with a firm nod. "You think you're feeling up to going outside today? We could go out for dinner and watch a movie?"

"I don't know." Adrien said warily. "I'm not sure I'm ready for the attention if people recognise me."

"Maybe we should take things one step at a time." Marinette told them with a pointed look at her friends. "We could just watch movies and order take-out today."

"Sorry Adrien, I'm not trying to push you or anything. I'm just hoping to take your mind off things." His best friend said guiltily but Adrien shook his head with a small smile.

"I know and thank you." He told him honestly. "Just being here with you guys has made me feel a lot better anyway."

"That settles it." The blogger announced. "We're gonna have a movie day in our pyjamas, Marinette's already the perfect _mood_." Marinette giggled softly and Adrien watched her fondly as her best friend poked at her.

They all got comfortable and settled down onto the two couches around their television, Alya had decided that they would have a Disney marathon and Adrien leaned back with Marinette settling against him comfortably as he put his arm around her.

After they had finished watching Aladdin, Alya had stood up abruptly and dragged Marinette with her into her room and Adrien looked over to Nino questioningly.

"Don't ask me dude, she's still a mystery to me." He told his best friend with a fond grin and Adrien chuckled softly.

He began to panic internally although he refused to let it show on his face as he realised that the last time he'd seen Plagg was in Alya's room and he hoped he was okay.

"What?!" He stood quickly when he heard the screech come from Alya's room and both men looked at each other worriedly.

"Are you guys okay?" He called out as he moved closer to the door.

"We're gonna have words Agreste!" Alya said as she opened the door and dragged him in before he could escape. Marinette met his eyes worriedly and he quickly scanned the room for danger or any sign of their Kwamis but released a subtle breath of relief when he found none.

"What is it?" Adrien asked nonchalantly, he looked Marinette over quickly to make sure she was okay and other than a self-conscious blush she seemed to be fine.

"Talk!" The blogger demanded, hands on her hips as she glared at him sternly.

"I'm gonna need more than that Alya." He said as he had no idea what he was supposed to say.

"You two." She said. "When was this happening?"

Adrien chuckled lightly as he realised what this was about but sobered when she glared at him. "It just happened this morning?" He answered helplessly as Marinette seemed to be frozen, and mute, beside him.

Her glare softened only slightly as she turned to her best friend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well..." Adrien started but Alya hushed him.

"You have no lines in this play." She said but her small smile let him know she wasn't really angry and he rolled his eyes fondly.

"I didn't really get a chance." Marinette said defensively as she held her arm shyly and Adrien moved in front of her to face off the blogger.

"Okay, Mari doesn't need the interrogation right now. I arrived here last night, she let me crash in your room and I told her how I felt about her this morning and we kissed, then I called Nino and now you're here." He explained with a defiant smirk.

"This isn't over Mari." Alya said with narrowed eyes as she opened the door to her room and walked out, Adrien made sure she was out of earshot before he turned to her quickly.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly and she nodded with an affectionate smile. "Good, for a moment I thought the _Chat_ was out of the bag." Adrien whispered with a smirk and winked for good measure as she chuckled helplessly and shoved him playfully.

"I swear your puns get worse every time." She groaned but he leaned in and kissed her quickly before waggling his eyebrows at her as she grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the room.

"Congrats guys." Nino said warmly when they walked out of the room and headed towards their couch.

"It's not like we were trying to hide it, we just didn't say anything." Marinette grumbled and Adrien pulled her closer to him as they tried to hide from Alya's glare.

"If looks could kill." Adrien commented with a chuckle and if possible her glare narrowed.

"I'm watching you." Alya said threateningly. "And Adrien, if you hurt my sweet summer child Marinette, I will end you." She added with a cheerful grin and he shook his head softly.

"You don't need to worry, I would never." He replied honestly, squeezing Marinette closer to himself and he felt content when she looked up at him with a happy smile.

"As long as we understand each other." Alya stated with a smug grin and Marinette rolled her eyes fondly when her best friend looked away.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way how about some Robin Hood?" Nino announced to distract everyone and Adrien couldn't be more thankful for his best friend as he stood up to put on the movie before moving back to sit beside his girlfriend.

When the movie was finished, Adrien smiled tenderly as he noticed that Marinette had fallen asleep on his chest and brushed his hand through her hair in soft strokes as she snuggled closer. "That is adorable." Alya cooed as she moved over with her phone. "Smile Adrien." She hissed as he looked up at her in confusion but he caught on quick and smirked as he knew Marinette would be embarrassed by it since he was pretty sure she was drooling a little.

"Adrien." Nino murmured suddenly after Alya had sat down and he turned his head to his friend curiously. "Do you think...you'll be ready to talk soon?" He asked hesitantly and he sighed as he looked down at his sleeping Princess.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready Nino...but I'm gonna try." Adrien promised as Alya moved back to sit beside her boyfriend and the two looked over at him worriedly.

Adrien wished Marinette was awake right now because he didn't have the heart to wake her and he knew it was probably time to tell his friends about himself. Hawkmoth was already gone, there would always be danger but they were basically his family.

"The night I found out..." He said softly. "I shut down, I was angry; at _him_ and myself. The police were everywhere, reporters, civilians and I didn't know what to do. Everyone was looking at me, wondering if I knew or looking at me with pity and I couldn't take it. I left." Adrien could feel his breathing pick up as he relived the worst day of his life bar the day he lost his mother, Marinette stirred as her head had been resting over his racing heart and she looked up at him worriedly.

"Adrien?" She asked carefully but he shook his head as he looked off to the side.

"I never want to see him again." Adrien stated and she understood, reaching up to turn his head back towards her.

"It's going to be okay." Marinette murmured and he nodded with a stuttering breath.

"I'm so sorry Adrien." Nino said and he looked back over at his friends and shrugged softly.

"It's not your fault. Honestly, I'm just glad you guys don't blame me. As much as I blamed myself I don't think I could have taken it if you did." He replied with a helpless shrug and Alya scoffed.

"Why would we blame you? Your father was the one that did those things, not you. We were all in the same boat, none of us knew it was him and you're not psychic Adrien." Alya told him sternly and he smiled weakly at that.

"I know that now, a friend told me last night." Adrien smiled down at Marinette when he said it and her lips tugged up softly.

"Is that why you decided to come back?" Nino asked in a quiet voice and he nodded softly.

"What happened last night?" Alya asked carefully, afraid she would upset him but she was curious as well and he looked at Marinette warily.

"Do you mind if I speak with Marinette first?" He said as he looked at her worriedly and she bit her lip softly.

"Sure?" The blogger replied warily as she and Nino shared a concerned look.

Adrien eased Marinette up and they headed into Marinette's room quietly, he breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted his Kwami curled up with Tikki in the corner of the room before he turned to Marinette.

"I'm going to tell them...about me." He stated quietly and she gasped softly with wide eyes. "You don't have to tell them." Adrien added quickly as he rubbed her arms soothingly. "I know you always wanted to keep it a secret to protect them but I've had enough of hiding especially from the people closest to me. I'm not doing it for _him_ , not anymore."

"I know." She replied gently. "I kept it a secret for so long, even from you. And yes it had a lot to do with keeping them safe but at the time..." Marinette hesitated and he placed his hand on her face as stroked her cheek with his thumb to sooth her. "A lot of it also had to do with you."

"What do you mean?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"I was worried that you'd be disappointed if you found out, that you'd see me and realise that I wasn't the strong confident person you thought you knew." She admitted shyly and he shook his head with a warm smile.

"That's ridiculous Mari, even when we were younger and you barely said a word to me as Adrien, you were strong and confident around Chat. I noticed that, I noticed _you_ then and I liked that. Don't forget that as much as I loved Ladybug, I loved Marinette too and I would _never_ be disappointed in you." He replied fiercely and she gazed back at him beautifully.

"So how are we telling them?" Marinette asked as she gathered her composure.

"You don't have to." Adrien insisted quietly but she shook her head with a fond gaze and kissed him softly.

"I told you didn't I? _We_ will do this together, you won't have to go through anything alone." She promised and he grinned at her affectionately.

"Puurrincess, you are too good for me." He replied softly but she rolled her eyes fondly.

"No I'm not, now Tikki and Plagg?" She called out to the Kwamis and they flew over curiously. "We're going to tell our friends, are you guys ready?"

"As long as no one tries to touch me." Plagg grumped and Adrien chuckled as he poked at the Cat Kwami who waved him off before flying into his neck for a hug. "I'm happy for you Adrien." The miraculous holder hugged his Kwami back with a grateful smile.

"Thanks Plagg, now come on. I'm sure Alya's gonna blow a fuse in there and I'd rather get this over with because God knows how many questions we'll have to sit through." Adrien murmured and Marinette froze before he could reach for the door handle.

"On second thoughts we could always do this tomorrow, or next week, or ooh what about Christmas?" She bargained urgently and Adrien smirked fondly.

"Meow Meow Milady, you wouldn't be procrastinating would you?" He asked innocently and she rolled her eyes but couldn't help the nervous giggle that escaped her lips.

"I'm just nervous but you're right Minou, it's time." Marinette said before schooling her features determinedly in a way he found so familiar when Ladybug made a decision.

"Together." Adrien murmured and she nodded in response as she took his offered hand and walked out to the living room.

"Everything okay?" Nino asked worriedly as he and Alya sat forward in their seats and watched them both in concern.

"I just wanted to tell you guys everything but I had to make sure Marinette was okay with it first." Adrien stated and their friends' eyes flickered to Marinette for a second before they looked at him expectantly. "Now this is going to be a little hard to believe and you might even be angry at me...Us." He corrected when Marinette nudged him.

"What is it?" The DJ questioned warily.

"Okay...This isn't going to be easy to say." Adrien faltered as he went over different ways to say what he needed to say in his head.

"Take your time." Alya said gently as Marinette squeezed his hand, letting him know she was there if he needed her to say something.

"My father is Hawkmoth." Adrien said out loud for the first time and his friends nodded sympathetically but thankfully they weren't looking at him with pity. "I didn't just find out he was arrested...I was there."

"Oh my god, dude why? Were you kidnapped or in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Nino asked worriedly.

"I...I held him down while the police came to arrest him." He replied sadly and Marinette leaned into his side as she really thought over the battle with Hawkmoth and how Chat must have felt.

"How? Weren't Chat and Ladybug fighting him? How could they just leave you to do that?" His best friend exclaimed incredulously and Adrien laughed weakly.

"No Nino, _I_ was Chat Noir. Well I still am." He added helplessly and he looked up at his friends hesitantly when he heard no response.

"I think you broke them." Marinette murmured as she noticed them freeze as they stared back with their mouths open in shock.

"Guys?" Adrien called out, moving closer to examine them and Alya seemed to startle then before she let out a squeal.

"Oh my God! I can't believe you've been Chat this whole time!" She exclaimed before she nudged Nino to wake him up from his trance and he stood up quickly to pull his best friend into a hug.

"Adrien, I'm so sorry. Dude, it must have been horrible to fight your own father." Adrien squeezed his friend back with his free arm.

"Yeah it wasn't great." He replied solemnly.

"That's why there were so many Chat Noir sightings blowing up the blog the past two weeks." Alya said soberly as she looked down at her phone thoughtfully.

"Yeah, being him allowed me to hide for a while." Adrien told them softly.

"What convinced you to come back?" Nino asked as he pulled back from his friend with a concerned frown.

"Honestly? Ladybug." He said with a small smile. "She asked me to meet up with her last night and wanted me to help her find Adrien. I told her I couldn't help but she'd noticed there was something wrong with Chat too and told me what I needed to hear." He put his arm around Marinette and squeezed her closer to him. "She said it wasn't my fault."

"So that means she knows who you are?" Alya asked curiously.

"She didn't until last night, Ladybug got upset with me because I was refusing to help her find Adrien and she was very worried about him." He explained. "I wanted to give up but she wouldn't let me and I didn't have the heart to send her on a wild goose chase so I gave in and told her."

"And I didn't have the heart not to take my lost cat home." Marinette murmured as she leaned her head on his shoulder, her friends nodded along understandingly until it clicked and both let out startled gasps.

"What?!" Alya shrieked and both superheroes winced. "Marinette?!" She exclaimed, she had betrayal in her eyes and Adrien moved to stand in front of his girlfriend to protect her from her friend's stare.

"I'm so sorry." Marinette said sadly as tears began to drip from her eyes in fear of losing her best friends.

"We didn't tell you, either of you because of Hawkmoth. Alya, we didn't even tell each other until _last night_. He can read the memories of the people who were akumatised, it's not that we didn't trust you but it had everything to do with either of you becoming a target if he found out you knew who we were." Adrien explained desperately, he was clutching Marinette's hand behind him to sooth her and Alya shook her head in denial as she looked off to the side in hurt.

"I understand why you didn't tell us." Nino said softly as he put his arm around his obviously hurt girlfriend to comfort her. "We may not like it but it was for the best." He added more towards Alya than them and she turned her head back to Nino as they shared a look, she sighed angrily but nodded her head in defeat.

"I..." Alya began before pausing as she met Marinette's eyes as she peeked over Adrien's shoulder. "I forgive you, I'm mad at you but I forgive you." She told her best friend and Marinette moved out of his protective stance to walk closer to her best friend as she cried softly.

"I wanted to tell you every day, you have no idea how badly I've wanted to tell you but I couldn't. I was so terrified you'd be hurt, I didn't want to turn you into a target just because you were my friend." Marinette explained emotionally and Adrien placed his hand on her back as he rubbed it gently.

"I'm your _best_ friend." Alya said firmly, her own tears dripping down her cheek and Marinette nodded quickly. "Never keep something this big from me again. We know now, I still love you and that means there should be nothing else." She added with a warning look in her eyes.

"There's nothing else." Marinette promised quickly before she looked up at Adrien and he wiped at her eyes quickly with a soft smile. "Well, there is one more thing but I think you'll like it." She added in a relieved tone.

"What?" Alya asked eagerly, she seemed to perk up now and Nino breathed out a sigh.

"Please nothing else, I don't think my fragile heart can take it." Nino joked lightly and Alya gave him a half-hearted glare.

"There's two individuals we'd like you to meet." Adrien murmured and Marinette smiled softly.

"This is Tikki." She stated as the Ladybug Kwami flew onto her hand that she held out and their friends' eyes widened as they looked at her.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Tikki said with a little wave.

"Tikki is a Kwami and she gives me my power to be Ladybug." Marinette explained lightly.

"She's so cute." Alya whispered in an awed voice.

"Thank you." Tikki giggled, Plagg peeked out from Adrien's hair then as he looked at them cautiously and Nino stared up at him when he noticed.

"And this is Plagg." Adrien said as he pointed up to his hair.

"Hmm." Plagg grumbled and Alya laughed quietly.

"He's friendly." She commented and Plagg glowered at her.

"Don't be like that Plagg, come on say hello." His miraculous holder pleaded and with a put upon sigh he flew out of Adrien's hair and landed on his shoulder.

"Fine, hello." The Cat Kwami said awkwardly and Adrien rolled his eyes fondly.

"Don't mind him, he's secretly a softy." He explained with a small smirk as the Kwami hissed at him. "He'll never admit it mind you."

"I'm leaving you." Plagg said as he made to fly off but Adrien caught him and pulled him into a hug.

"I feel bad because I can't even bribe you with cheese right now, I need to go out later and get some." Adrien told his Kwami and Marinette let out a soft giggle when the Kwami struggled with an offended huff.

Nino and Alya watched with awed amusement as Tikki flew over to the Cat Kwami with stern eyes. "Plagg! We're supposed to be introducing ourselves to their friends, you can get your cheese after we talk to Nino and Alya. I'm sure you have a lot of questions." Tikki directed that last part to their friends and they both nodded in response.

"But I'm hungry." Plagg whined.

"I have cheese Plagg, I know you prefer camembert but it's all I've got." Marinette suggested apologetically and the little Kwami thought about it for a few seconds before he nodded eagerly.

"Thanks Mari." Adrien said gratefully but she shook her head softly as she grabbed the cheese and a cookie for the two and headed back towards them.

"Let's sit down." Marinette murmured to them all as they moved towards the couches, she set the cheese and cookie down on the coffee table as the Kwamis quickly flew onto it to eat.

"Thanks Marinette." Tikki said gratefully.

"Thanks." Plagg added through a mouthful of cheese, earning a disapproving glare from Tikki but the sound of Alya clearing her throat had all eyes on her.

"Okay." The blogger announced, "now that I've had some time to ruminate I have made some decisions and I have a lot of questions that you will have to answer." Alya added matter-of-factly.

"We'll try our best." Marinette said eagerly.

"Well number one on the list will be exclusive interviews given to me and me alone." She said with a smirk.

"How did I know that would come up?" Adrien asked rhetorically with a smirk and she gave him a half-hearted glare.

"I think you deserve that much." Marinette added guiltily and Alya smiled happily.

"Don't worry girl, I won't have you at my beck and call just the odd interview when anything happens." She added with a wink and Nino rolled his eyes fondly at his girlfriend.

"What else would you have of us?" Adrien drawled dramatically.

"Alright, number two and probably the most important. No more secrets, no more lies." Alya said seriously and he sobered at the pleading looks their friends gave them.

"No more." Marinette murmured softly and he nodded in agreement.

"We really don't have anything else." Adrien added honestly.

"Good because we're wiping the slate clean tonight. You are both forgiven, even for your disappearing act." She directed that last part to Adrien and he ducked his head softly. "Right now, I'm just glad you're both safe and happy and to...oh my god." Her eyes widened as her voice began to get higher in pitch. "Do you know what this means?!"

"Calm down Ali." Nino told her with a chuckle as her hands pressed against the sides of her head.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are together!" Alya exclaimed happily.

Adrien snorted a laugh at how dramatic she could be and Marinette groaned softly as she was hoping her friend wouldn't catch on to that fact.

"If you decide to announce it to the public..." The blogger began.

"You'll be the first to know." Adrien interrupted as he rolled his eyes and Marinette merely blushed beside him.

"I suppose then that I should say congrats again guys." Nino told them with a smirk and the superheroes shared a fond look as they grinned.

"Thanks...again." Adrien said as he huffed out a laugh.

"I think this is it. This is the best day of my life." Alya said cheerfully.

"So not when I asked you to marry me?" Nino asked with a raised brow.

"Fine." She huffed. "This is the second best day of my life but it's really close." Alya said as she raised her hand and her thumb and fore finger were barely brushing.

"I love you too." The Dj told his fiancé incredulously and shook his head in mock-hurt

"Don't pout, you are the love of my life but my ship has just sailed." The blogger replied excitedly and Adrien sighed contentedly with a small smile.

"Thanks you guys." He announced and the other couple looked over from their playful banter. "I think I'm gonna be okay."

"Of course you are, you've got us." Nino told him as the others nodded, Plagg looked up with eager eyes as he paused from stuffing more cheese into his mouth and Marinette smiled warmly at him.

Marinette and Adrien spent the rest of the evening getting interrogated on how they transformed, the miraculous and how it all worked. They didn't ask about Hawkmoth, not wanting to upset him and for this he was entirely grateful, he'd talk about it one day but not right now. They even had to demonstrate their transformations a few times, Alya's phone had been locked away before they would do it and she begrudgingly allowed it to be taken from her.

Marinette was true to her word, she stayed by his side the entire time and never let him do all the explaining as she would sometimes take over to give him a break and honestly, she was a gift. For all his bad luck he was lucky to have her in his life, both sides of the woman he loved who saw both sides of him and cared enough to save him from himself.

When it seemed like there were no more questions left to ask, their friends ordered takeout and they ate in a comfortable silence, Plagg and Tikki resting in his hair as they watched another film and Marinette pressed against him contentedly.

Eventually Nino and Alya stood, the former stretching his stiff limbs and he moved over to place his hand on his best friend's shoulder as Marinette had fallen asleep again.

"We're gonna go dude, tell Mari we said bye." Adrien nodded with a sleepy smile as he was feeling more than tired himself. "I'm glad you're back man."

"Thanks Nino." He replied softly as he patted his friend's hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"We'll be back tomorrow...she really does look so cute when she's asleep." Alya said fondly and Adrien grinned as he struggled not to laugh and wake her.

"Night Adrien." They called as they quietly closed the door as he murmured his own 'goodnight'. Adrien looked down at Marinette's sleeping face as she moaned softly in her sleep and snuggled closer to him.

"Damn that's adorable." He murmured as he brushed his hand through her hair again, he could feel himself nodding off as he struggled to keep watching the TV and he lightly kissed the top of her head. "I love you Mari." Adrien whispered warmly.

They had plenty of time to talk things through, he would take things one step at a time but he knew that he wouldn't have to take those steps alone.

She told him they would do this together, and the whole day she didn't falter. They told their friends together, even when he insisted that she didn't have to and they could have come up with a story but Marinette held true to her words.

He was one lucky cat, the other stuff didn't matter anymore and as long as she stood by his side he could get through anything.

It was with that thought and her warmth that he fell asleep, his arms tightening around her as he held on to his guiding light.

His lifeline.

A/N I hope you enjoyed, I'm not entirely happy with the ending but I may fix it :)


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